Scientific Philosophy Club, a new club on campus, is selling silicone wristbands to raise funds for a scholarship called, The Scientific Philosophy Scholarship.
The wristbands, which contain the question, “What Would Darwin Do?” come in a variety of colors and are available for $2 each.
“What [Darwin] wanted to do was, not to bash religion, but to pursue objective thought and the most likely answer to something, based on his observations of the natural world,” Club President Alex Bishara Jreisat, said.
“I think that’s what we should all strive for, is coming to a concise and valid conclusion through observations that we could see,” he said.
The $250 scholarship will be available by the fall 2011 semester.
Students interested in the scholarship must have a minimum of a 3.25 GPA, must have taken at least a total of 30 units and must be taking more than 6 units this semester.
An essay question will also be required to be filled out and will be reviewed by a council that will consist of the club’s standing president and vice president, two Cerritos College professors and the Director of Cerritos College foundation Steve Richardson.
“You don’t have to be in the club, anyone is eligible if they meet the requirements,” Jreisat said.
Jreisat described the club, “One of the purposes of the SciPhi club is too create a close network of confident objective scholars who are searching too apply the knowledge they gain in class to the rest of their lives.”
SciPhi’s purpose is to introduce empiricism and objectivism; club members are challenged to tasks of making choices based on critical thinking and without bias.
Club member, Matthew Green, said, “I’ve always strived to be objective myself, I know that’s impossible but I’m aware of my own bias and I’m trying to keep emotions out of it, and it’s interesting that there are people like me in a club.”
Philosophy major, Veronica Leon, adds to an on growing list of members that the SciPhi club has gained in its first semester of existence.
“It’s [SciPhi] all about expanding your thoughts process, you become more aware of everything, it’s more like on a today level, the philosophy club is cool they’ll talk about anything, where as the SciPhi is more on the logical level,” Leon said.
